


should i stay or should i go?

by liebstes



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Road Trip, Azula (Avatar) Redemption, Fluff, M/M, Ozai (Avatar) is an Asshole, Road Trips, Slow Burn, Trans Male Character, Trans Sokka (Avatar), Trans Zuko (Avatar), Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, trans author
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-08
Updated: 2020-10-14
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:14:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26901943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/liebstes/pseuds/liebstes
Summary: 40-hour road trip. 2 gay dumbassses. 1 beaten up Toyota. What could go wrong?**Sokka and Zuko make the trek from northern Florida to Seattle, WA, which includes way too much junk food, pit stops, and unspoken feelings. Will update tags as the story progresses.
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 20
Kudos: 52





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for clicking!! thank u to my wonderful betas noa and offbroadway for removing all my unnecessary commas and getting rid of my Californian accent <3 
> 
> WOOOH boy i have been wanting to write this but then i found out that college is like, hard. hopefully ill have time to update soon!

**Sokka** to **Katara:** ur prob asleep but just wanted to let u know im leaving rn, ill text u when i stop for the night <33333  
_5.37 a.m._

Sokka had barely made it onto 1-4 headed East when he saw him. He was barely awake with only a McDonald’s McMuffin in him and was already regretting this whole ‘road trip across the country' idea. 

A hitchhiker, standing pretty close to the on-ramp, sitting on the ground with his thumb stuck out. Maybe he wasn’t fully awake yet, maybe it was an act commanded by the Spirits, or maybe this song caught him in a good mood, but Sokka pulled over. 

Katara would likely murder him in his sleep for picking up a stranger, but when threatened, she had yet to actually do anything other than yell and slap him gently on the back of his head, so he figured it was worth the risk. 

He rolled down the passenger side window and the hitchhiker looked up, turning Sokka’s brain to mush as he first thought was _oh god he’s hot._

“Where you headed?” He asked, trying to play it smooth and not like he was already interested in this hitchhiker– who could very easily turn out to be a murderer, his mind reminded him. 

“Uh… As far from Florida as you’ll take me.”

Sokka let out a loud snort. Great, it was 5 in the morning and he had already fucking snorted. Amazing.

“I’ll say hell yeah to that, dude. Hop in,” He said, clicking the lock for the doors. The stranger seemed surprised. Had anyone else stopped for him? Granted, there might not be that many people on the freeway this early on a Sunday. 

“Seriously? Like, I can get in your car?” The dude asked, and what kind of question was that? Sure, this was Sokka’s first hitchhiker experience, but he was pretty sure it typically didn’t go like this. 

“Yeah, y’know, that’s why I said, ‘hop in’ and unlocked the door? Unless you weren’t serious? I’m actually headed out of state,” Sokka said, trying to sound confident and not like a tired twenty-two-year-old who should probably not accept strangers into his car. 

As the guy stood up and got into the car, Sokka was able to take in his face, the dark hair that shagged over his forehead, the scar that was obscuring his right eye and ear, and _holy shit_ the gold hoop he had in the other. 

As soon as he sat down, Sokka had no idea what to do. Should he ask for more specific directions? Is it rude to keep playing his music without asking? Maybe get some coffee from-

“My name’s Zuko, by the way,” The guy offered, looking awkward with a slightly red tinge to his face. “Just in case you like…wanted to know.”

“Oh, yeah. Thanks! Name’s Sokka. So uh, are you cool if I take the northbound 275?”

“Sure, whatever you want,” Zuko said, curling his hand over the backpack in his lap. “Thanks for doing this. I can, like, pay you or something…”

“Nah, dude, you’re good. Depends how long you wanna stay, but pitching in for gas or something is enough,” Sokka said, which earned him a weird look from the dude– no, Zuko. 

“Okay, if you’re fine with that. I’m just trying to get to Washington state, so you can drop me off wherever.”

 _What?_ Was this guy stalking him? No fucking way the hitchhiker he picked up is going to the same place as him. A place that’s approximately 45 hours away. What the fuck. 

“Are you serious?” Sokka asked, “Like, Washington. On the other side of the country?”

He must have come off as aggressive or something, as Zuko flushed and said, “Yeah, but you don’t have to take me there obviously. You can just drop me off wherever you’re headed.”

Was he really about to commit to a 5-day long road trip with a stranger? Should he pretend he’s not going to Seattle? The good side of his brain argued that he can’t dump this guy on the street to the mercy of weird and dangerous strangers when he could safely take him to Washington. God damn it. If only Gran Gran hadn't raised him with morals. 

“Well, you’re in luck buddy. I’m headed to Seattle, so if you’re cool with dealing with me for the next few days, I’ll take you there,” Sokka offered, nervously looking over every few seconds to gauge his reaction. 

Meanwhile, Zuko’s brain had already stopped working about three minutes ago. Not only was this hot guy offering him a ride in his surprisingly clean car, he wasn’t asking for a fuckload of money or something else shady and was willing to take him across the entire fucking country. He stared at Sokka to see if he was messing with him, which didn’t seem to be the case. 

“Uh… if you’re not joking, then yeah. That would be amazing. I thought it would be a lot harder to get there, jeez,” he said with a huff, his body visibly relaxing. He’s not sure what he’d done to earn this sort of luck, but Zuko was not going to lose this chance. 

“Sick. And here I thought I’d be doing this whole thing alone! My sister will probably have my ass though,” Sokka said, already trying to justify this decision in his head to his little yet incredibly intimidating sister. 

Zuko didn’t know how to respond to that. Should he feel guilty? He’s not _forcing_ this guy to drive him there, and would understand if he decided to dump him on the way. He let out a quiet laugh, which seemed to be the right answer?

“Don’t worry about it though, as long as you don’t murder me I think it’ll be fine,” Sokka continued with a grin. 

“I was thinking the same thing about you,” Zuko said before he could think. Oh fuck, why did he say that. Do _not_ insinuate that the guy who just offered to drive you forty hours is a murderer, dipshit. 

But instead of an offended glare or slamming the brakes, Zuko was met with laughter. 

“Okay, well, at least it’s mutual. Can we have an I-won’t-murder-you-if-you-don’t-murder-me pact? At least then it’ll be even,” he said, once again with a shit-eating grin. 

Zuko, king of not understanding social cues and sarcasm, said, “Well it’d be a bit too late to murder the other if you’re already murdered, so I’m not sure that would hold.”

Once again, Sokka seemed to like what he said, because he just let out a snort. Which was… oddly cute? 

“Okay, that’s fair. I guess we’ll just agree to not killing each other,” he said, “Just letting you know, I’ve never picked up a hitchhiker before, so I’m not exactly sure what the normal is? But you’re making this pretty fun,” Sokka finished, saying the last part quietly. 

Zuko couldn’t help but blush. 

“Thanks,” He said.

_god, do you ever look down below,  
at your children in sorrow,  
and think what have you done?_

_what, what’s the point of forgiving,  
us for the sins we won’t stop making?  
must take up your time._

_do you ever take breaks,  
from our tearful confessions?  
and treat your angels and saints,  
to a cigarette in heaven,  
and be a cool god?_

Time had passed quickly and comfortably, with Sokka’s finger tapping on the steering wheel to the rhythm of whatever song was playing, each passenger slowly learning more information about the other.

Zuko learned Sokka was going to Seattle for school, where his sister, her boyfriend, and most of their friends happened to live. He was going to be studying engineering with a minor in English, and was transferring from a community college, an experience they both shared. He learned that he absolutely cannot resist singing along to Paramore songs and that he actually liked driving long distances.

Sokka, on the other hand, simply learned Zuko was going to Seattle to live with a friend, and to try to get a job somewhere. When asked about his home life, he once again gripped his backpack tighter, stared resolutely out the window, and said it was complicated. Sokka didn’t push the subject.

It wasn’t until Zuko noticed that it was nearly 9 at night, and asked Sokka if he was getting tired yet.

Sokka looked surprised at the time, but answered, “Oh shit, yeah. I guess having someone here really does help pass time” with a chuckle. He looked for the next sign on the highway before saying, “Guess we’re staying in… Chattanooga tonight.”

Zuko helped search for motels on his cracked phone and directed Sokka to a place not far from the off-ramp.

“You wanna get some food first?” Sokka asked. “These motels always have a bunch of fast-food around them,” To which Zuko shrugged and responded with a ‘Sure’. They had both been snacking on protein bars and whatever little things they picked up at gas stations, and were craving a real meal. A Chipotle burrito and never sounded so good to Sokka in his life. 

***

Once properly nourished (or as nourished as a burrito stuffed with meat can be), they went to the motel to split the cost of a double room. Sure, it was just two dingy single beds in a room with suspiciously stained carpet, but it was better than sleeping in the car which was starting to smell like sweat, and the coke Sokka had spilled. 

“You okay if I shower first?” Sokka asked, desperately wanting to wash away the sweat that had formed on his back between the heat of his shirt and the car seat. 

“Yeah, sure,” Zuko said, setting down his small pack on the bed, and sitting awkwardly, unsure what to do with himself. 

Sokka once again wondered how he fit all he needed in such a small bag. Did Zuko have enough clothes? Should Sokka offer to lend him some? The thought of Zuko in one of his shirts was making his cheeks flush, something he hoped would pass off as from the heat or tiredness. 

He decided against offering Zuko anything right now, as they were still a little hesitant around each other, and instead got his own clothes along with his toiletries and headed to the small bathroom. 

Huh. Neat. He could stand in one place and touch the shower, toilet, and sink at the same time. Gotta love motel bathrooms. 

He showered quickly and efficiently, exhaustion finally sinking into his bones. His hands slightly ached from gripping the wheel all day, and his legs still didn’t feel fully stretched out. Hopefully it was nothing a night’s sleep and McDonald’s breakfast couldn’t fix. 

Sokka dried off and pulled on his flannel pants and the University of Washington shirt Katara had mailed him a few months ago. It had been a year since she moved up there, and he only got to see her at Winter break. Sure, they always messed around with each other and got annoyed, but it was hard being from someone he was so close to for so long. After Mom died and their Dad had to travel more and more for work, they learned to lean on each other. He was hoping they could get back into that dynamic again. 

_Okay, stop staring in the mirror and being melodramatic, weirdo,_ his mind supplied. 

He opened the door to let Zuko know he could shower if he wanted but stopped in his tracks. 

There was Zuko, sitting on his bed, pantsless, needle and syringe in hand. He didn’t even have time to think before his mouth opened, “Woah, okay, dude. Like, this is totally fine, I uh, just, uh… Okay. Uh. Do you need help? Like is everything sanitary? Do you need me to buy you stuff? I don’t want you reusing or whatever or if you need help getting-”

He stopped when Zuko opened his mouth. Poor guy was about as red as can be, clearly embarrassed. Shit, Sokka should have stayed in the bathroom longer. 

“No! No. It’s not what you think. I’m not doing drugs.” 

Sokka stared at the syringe in his hand, his eyebrow raised. 

“Look, dude, I’m not gonna judge, I just wanna make sure-”

“I’m trans. It’s testosterone.”

Oh. _Oh._ Oh! 

Sokka could barely think. He hadn’t really met another trans person before, thanks to his small town, and was thinking he wouldn’t until he moved. But apparently, the Spirits were throwing him a bone, sending him a fun, cute, _trans_ hitchhiker to make his trip even better. 

Zuko, however, seemed to be interpreting Sokka’s shock differently. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, I didn’t think you’d have to know, today is just my shot day and I didn’t wanna miss it but I’m sorry and I… understand if you don’t want to take me anymore,” he said, looking down at the needle that was still posed near his thigh. 

“No! Zuko, no, I’m trans too, I was just like, holy fuck,” Sokka said with a laugh, “I just totally did not expect this.” 

Zuko’s eyes went comically wide and his mouth formed a small o. “Oh,” He said lightly. 

“Yeah, oh,” Sokka said with a laugh. 

Zuko stared at him a bit more before saying, “So, is it cool if I, uh, do my shot now…?” 

“Oh, yeah! Yeah. I was just gonna tell you you can shower if you want,” Sokka said, running a hand through his damp hair. It seemed to catch Zuko’s attention, as his eyes followed the movement and stayed fixated on Sokka’s head. 

“You… good?” Sokka asked. 

“Oh. Yeah! Yeah, sorry, just your hair. I didn’t notice,” Zuko said, blushing slightly, “It looks… nice... down.” 

It was Sokka’s turn to grow red. He wasn’t sure if he was getting complimented just cause Zuko knew he was trans too, or if… something else. Either way, he liked it. 

“Thanks,” he said softly. “You can, uh, do your shot now, if you want.”

“Oh yeah,” Zuko said, as if he forgot. He stretched the skin on the side of his thigh and stuck the needle in without a flinch. Sokka was jealous. He had been on testosterone for nearly two years and still hated the feeling of poking himself. 

He laid down on his own bed and let Zuko do whatever else he needed while he sent a few quick texts to Katara and Dad. They still didn’t know about Sokka’s newest passenger and he wanted to put off telling them, at least for now. He knew they would both freak the fuck out and he did not have the mental capacity to deal with that right now. 

It was nearing eleven pm now, so he started his nightly ritual of CandyCrush. He only got through a few levels before he heard Zuko.

“So you… said you were trans?” He asked, quietly. 

“Oh, yeah. Came out a few years ago, have been on hormones since the start of college, and got top last year,” He said, smiling at the ability to talk about this with someone who would understand. 

“Nice,” Zuko said, then hesitated. “I… I think I’m gonna try to get top surgery in Seattle.” 

“Oh! That’s great. I’m sure they have tons of surgeons there, it being so big and all.” 

“Yeah,” He said quietly. “Back home, I. Well. My Dad wasn’t a huge fan of… me… doing this. When I went to live with my Uncle I was able to start hormones, but not surgery. I’m hoping this move will open a lot of doors in that area.” 

“That sucks he wasn’t supportive,” Sokka offered. 

Zuko’s eyes turned to the wall on the far side of the room. “Yeah,” He said, turning around in the bed, signaling the end of the conversation. 

Sokka stared at his back, unsure of how to comfort him. He wasn’t sure exactly how unsupportive Zuko’s father was and didn’t really want to push it. He knew how alienating this process could feel and felt for Zuko. 

“Y’know, Zuko, it’ll be okay,” Sokka said, voice surprisingly quiet and somber. 

He heard Zuko sigh. 

“Yeah.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day two of the road trip: McDonald's, Dolly Parton, and Zuko being overwhelmed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yay chapter two! this one is slightly longer and from zukos POV. i think ill just do one chapter per day of the road trip for a total of 5 chapters? idk for sure!
> 
> TW someone says a transphobic slur to Zuko and Sokka experiences a racial microaggression

He was so warm.  


There was a slight breeze in the air making the tall blades of grass around them dance, a few yellow colored petals floating by.  


Zuko was leaning back, he realized, against something warm. Something solid. He dragged his hand out of the grass and turned his body, looking back to see Sokka with a small grin and closed eyes.  


_Oh yeah,_ he thought. He was with Sokka, who started rubbing his hand over the front of Zuko’s chest. The movement was soothing, and he allowed himself to lean back down and close his eyes.  


He felt so warm, so content, so full. He smiled as Sokka brought his hand higher, near the collar of his shirt, so wonderfully flat, before he thought, _wait, where did my–_  


Fuck. His eyes adjusted to the brightness in their motel room.  


He brought a hand down to the faded T-shirt he still had on and the boxers he fell asleep in, trying to adjust to reality and make sense of what just happened.  


Zuko looked over and saw Sokka still sleeping, drooling quite a bit on the scratchy pillows.  


_Cute._  


He stretched out his body, noting the ache in his left thigh, before leaving the warm cocoon he managed to form out of the thin blankets and heading to the bathroom. The bright fluorescent lights were inevitable yet still unwelcome.  


There was a bright red crease in his left cheek from a fold in the pillow, making him look like he had two prominent facial scars. The thought made him chuckle.  


He dismissed whatever thoughts had begun forming of Ozai and his still fucked up yet improved relationship with Azula in favor of messing with the shower knobs until something resembling warm water appeared.  


Zuko hadn’t wanted to shower last night, feeling too vulnerable and raw after the unexpected conversation he had with Sokka, but knew his B.O. was starting to win the war with his deodorant. Sokka had already offered to take him however many hundred miles away; the least Zuko could do is not stick up the car.  


Everything still didn’t feel real. When he left Uncles with nothing more than a backpack and a plan to stick out his thumb he never would have guessed he’d find someone like Sokka so quickly and easily. Someone ready to drive across the entire country and not be a horrible person? Bless the Spirits.  


He showered quickly with the tiny bars of soap and conditioner that were left there, unsure what Sokka’s plans for the day were. The guy was still conked out, but Zuko didn’t wanna be the reason for a delay.  


Yesterday, Sokka had excitedly spoken about all the random pit stops he had researched but vetoed because he thought it would be awkward to go alone, but seemed more promising with Zuko by his side.  


When Zuko imagined his trek to Seattle it was with a lot less ‘World’s Biggest ____’ tourist stops and more sitting awkwardly in the back of trucks, but he wasn’t gonna look a gift horse in the mouth. Besides, the thought of spending more time with Sokka other than sitting next to each other… made him blush.  


_Don’t get attached,_ his mind stubbornly supplied, _he’s gonna dump you off when you get there anyways._  


He dried himself off and changed into new underwear, the same binder and jeans, and a hoodie that had been too thick to wear in Florida.  


Zuko glanced at himself in the mirror once more before leaving the bathroom. His hair was wet and falling awkwardly over his face, in that obvious stage of needing a trim. He thought back to Sokka’s hair last night, how it flowed so softly over his ears, the deep brown color somehow still looking shiny despite the less than favorable hair products provided.  


Whatever. He shot a short glare in the mirror and told himself to stop being stupid.  


He opened up the door to the bedroom to find Sokka sitting up in bed with eyes closed, looking like one strong breeze could knock him over. He cracked open an eye at the sound of Zuko.

“Wow, you’re like… awake. And ready.”  


Zuko blinked.  


“Yeah. Should I… not be?”  


Sokka seemed to wake up by approximately 10% more, waving his hands around saying, “No, no! I’m just like, surprised. Sorry. ‘M not fully awake yet.”  


Zuko tried not to collapse at the sight of Sokka rubbing his eyes tiredly and pulling his arms above his head to stretch. The Spirits were testing him today.  


“Okay, give me like. 10 minutes. I'll be ready to go, like, so ready.”  


He could tell Sokka was exhausted, and no shit, he drove like twelve hours yesterday. He deserved _some_ pity.  


“I can drive first if you trust me with your car. Not to be rude, but you don’t seem exactly fit to operate a vehicle right now,” Zuko said, trying to let Sokka know he looked like death as gently as possible.  


Sokka stood up and gathered some clothes from the suitcase next to his bed. “Eh, I trust you, but I’ll be fine to drive if I get some coffee in me, I swear!”  


Zuko just nodded and silently pulled out his phone to search for food while Sokka went to the bathroom. There was a McDonalds not even a two minute walk away, so he left their room in search of greasy food and the McDonalds subpar version of coffee.  


He stuffed his hands in his pant pockets and desperately tried to avoid eye contact with people as he walked to the few short blocks.  


Zuko had worked at saving up money the past year or so– the whole point of dropping out of community college and working at both his Uncle’s tea shop and the burger place that was close enough to campus to be unbearably full of annoying students. It didn’t help that he refused any payment from Uncle, but the free rent and seemingly endless generosity was already hard for him to handle.  


Tangent aside, he could afford splurging on breakfast for him and Sokka. The other man hadn’t let him pay for gas yesterday so he figured he owed him.  


The McDonald’s, like many others, was overrun and understaffed. There were multiple tables full of previous customers trash with something brown and… sticky on the floor. Hm.  


Zuko got in line but couldn’t help drawing his attention to the group of teenage girls ordering.  


“Listen, I don’t see why I can’t order what I want. Isn’t that like your job?” The girl in the center asked, tapping her foot on the ground almost aggressively.  


"It is,” the cashier replied with a sign, “however, it’s not possible for us to supply you fifty breakfast sandwiches and drinks in ten minutes. You’d have to call ahead to make an order that large.”  


He could see a few girls rolling their eyes, the sight bringing him back to his customer service days. Most of the people at the tea shop were polite enough, but oh boy, once college students got enough alcohol in them their filter vanished. Some nights at the burger restaurant would leave him in tears after customers would yell how stupid he is, how he messed up their order even when he didn’t.  


“Ugh, whatever. Just make them, I don’t care if it takes longer. This is so stupid,” the girl said once again, already quickly swiping her card through the machine as if that would solve her problem.  


“I’m so sorry for the inconvenience,” the cashier said with a straight face and no sincerity. Zuko liked her.  


The group of girls turned around and walked toward the entrance to wait for their order, but one of them got too close to Zuko and they hit arms.  


“Get out of the way, he-she!”  


He almost wanted to laugh. _Is that the best you could think of?_ Years of bullshit treatment from Ozai and Azula meant that insults like that barely agitated him. He stayed silent, just eyeing the girl who was already laughing with her friends.  


He got lost thinking about how Azula used to act like that, back when she was young and so easy to manipulate by their father. For a while, Zuko thought that’s just who she is. He accepted that when he left home, the only family he’d have left is Uncle.  


Zuko is glad he was wrong. After a few months of living with Uncle and no contact with any other family members, Azula had shown up on their doorstep with her bags and a surprisingly serious, disheartened expression. He was hesitant, thinking this was another one of her acts that would end with him getting hurt, but Uncle insisted.  


“How can I help you?”  


Oh shit. He took the few steps forward to the register and realized he had no idea what to order. He knew Sokka was fine eating meat, but… that was about it.  


“Oh, hi, sorry! Uh, can I please get just… two large coffees… and two sausage McMuffins with hashbrowns?” He asked, instantly cringing when he remembered the fifty McMuffin order the rude girl had just placed. _Oops._  


He paid and slipped the worker an apologetic smile before standing off to the left to wait for the order.  


A buzz in his hoodie pocket had him scrambling around to find his phone in the mess of earphone wires and an empty gum packet.  


**Sokka:** dude did u ditch me already?????? i thot we bonded!!!!  


He had left his bag at the motel, so Sokka must know he had just popped out. Or, at least he hoped.  


**Zuko:** I’m getting us food and coffee so we don’t get into an accident.  


**Sokka:** omg is it too soon to say i love u  


Zuko felt his face growing hot and proceeded to shoot off a quick ‘Yes’ text before he shoved the phone back in his pocket. Sokka was being dumb.  


He managed to alternate between zoning out and refreshing his email (as if he had people emailing him) while he waited, eventually being handed a greasy bag and drink carrier. He shoved a few creamers and sugars in the bag, unsure what Sokka liked, and headed back to the motel.  


What he walked in on, is something he never could have imagined.  


“Oh, I wanna dance with somebody! Wanna feel the heat with somebody!” Sokka sang as he danced around their motel room, folding his clothes and throwing them in his suitcase to the rhythm. His back was to Zuko, hence being completely oblivious that another human was witnessing this.  


Zuko… did not know what to do. Sokka looked so happy, just dancing around. He could watch him do this for hours.  


_Stop being gay!_ His mind shouted at him, and he cleared his throat.  


Sokka instantly stopped, stood up straight, and swiveled around.  


They stared at each other.  


Hopefully breaking the ice, Zuko held out the McDonald’s bag in a silent gesture and Sokka’s face lit him as he scrambled over and tore it open.  


“Dude, you got me a McMuffin! You’re the best,” Sokka said, already tearing open the paper and taking a bite.  


“And a hashbrown,” Zuko offered.  


Sokka made a loud _Hmmgfgh!_ sound around his mouthful of food and made grabby hands at the bag. He pulled out the greasy snack as he swallowed, saying, “Bro, seriously. I’ll marry you. Right now.”  


This was all too much for Zuko. The shirtlessness, the dancing, the thankfulness. Everything.  


“Yeah, whatever. It’s just food,” He dismissed, trying not to stare at Sokka’s chest and probably being super obvious about it. Sokka looked… _good._ Zuko had managed to catch a glimpse of thin pink scars under his pecs and the flat of his stomach which showed surprising muscles. Sokka looked pretty scrawny from the outside, but he could tell he was by no means weak.  


“Yeah, the best kind of breakfast food,” Sokka replied, setting down the paper wrapping to throw his shirt on. “And don’t act like I didn’t see the coffee. Hand it over, buddy.”  


Zuko dumped the creamers and sugars out of the bag and into the drink carrier and wordlessly handed it over. He took his own cup and thought of Uncle’s delicious morning tea as he sipped the watered down concoction of chemicals and bitterness. He could make do.  


“So,” Sokka said, taking the last bite of his hashbrown and zipping up his bag, “game plan. It’s a little out of the way, but there’s a Dolly Parton statue in a place called Sevierville. Just a bit over two hours away. You down or you down?”  


Zuko blinked. Dolly Parton. Sokka wanted to take a detour. To see Dolly Parton.  


“I mean, yeah. Karl Marx walked so Dolly Parton could run with “9 to 5”, so of course I’m down.”  


Sokka stared at him. Had he said something wrong? He had seen that statement somewhere on the Internet before and thought it was funny, so he just said it. Did it have a different meaning, or did–  


“Dude. Seriously. Where have you been all my life?”  


Zuko wasn’t sure what to say to that so he shrugged.  


"Finish your McMuffin so we can get to Dolly before noon. I don’t usually care about old white people, but damn if I’m not excited about her.”  


***  


The statue detour was definitely worth it as Zuko got to experience the pure joy on Sokka’s face as he took pictures of him making various poses around her. He insisted on taking photos of Zuko as well, even though the only person he could send them to was Uncle and he wasn’t sure if he even knew who Dolly Parton was.  


At the end of their break after Sokka had sent some photos to his sister– Katara, Zuko learned, Sokka insisted on getting the two of them together. After hailing down an innocent-looking young mother with a stroller, Zuko was staring at a photo of him and Sokka with their arms around each other next to a giant Dolly Parton. He wasn’t sure how to feel.  


“Haha! Bro, Katara is gonna be so jealous. She _wishes_ her road trip was as half as cool as ours,” Sokka said with a grin as they walked back to the car.  


“She drove all the way to Washington too?”  


“Yeah, the gas was cheaper than taking a flight, especially because she had her boyfriend and his dog with them. Once I decided to go up there too I was just gonna fly, but she insisted I drive too to make it fair,” Sokka explained, using air quotations on the last word.  


“Hm. Well, guess it worked out,” Zuko said without thinking. Was he being too presumptuous?  


Instead, Sokka nudged him in the shoulder. “Yeah, it did! Now, how does getting some food before we’re confined to this vehicle for like, 8 hours sound?”  


Zuko nodded in agreement and they set out for some restaurant Sokka had found before they got in the car. According to him they were supposed to have _’the best burgers in all of Tennessee!’_.  


It wasn’t far from the statue, in a stripmall next to an insurance company and a video game store. The awning was a faded red and there were two middle-aged men outside smoking.  


As they headed inside the two men stared at him without saying anything, and Zuko stared back. He wasn’t gonna take any shit.  


“Welcome boys, table for two?” The waitress asked, her smile seeming at least a little genuine as she led them to a booth against the wall.  


“Now if you two need some time just lemme know! I’ll get ya some Cokes out here soon,” She said, putting down their menus and leaving quickly.  


Sokka didn’t seem to mind her manners as he immediately shoved his face in the menu, excitedly pointing out items to Zuko, _’ Look, they have a burger with bacon and onion rings! Hell yeah._  


They picked what they wanted and discussed the next part of the route as they waited for the worker to come back, who took their order and promised a speedy delivery.  


“I’m just sad we aren’t going through West Virginia,” Sokka said mournfully, “I’ve always wanted to go to Point Pleasant and see Mothman.”  


Zuko, well-versed in cryptids and a professional dumbass, opened his mouth without thinking and said, “Yeah, I’m totally gay for Mothman.”  


Sokka let out the loudest snort Zuko thinks he’s ever heard and burst out laughing.  


“Dude! Dude! Oh my Spirits, _same!_ He’s like, all dark and mysterious. I’m into it,” Sokka said, laughing winding down and a funny look in his eye.  


Zuko was trying, internally, to not lose his shit. He was not preparing to come out to Sokka, _for the second time,_ and was not expecting Sokka to be the same. And to think he was funny.  


This was a lot, he decided.  


Just then their waitress, Sharlene, her name tag read, came by and plopped down their food with a clunk. “Here you go. Say, you boys aren’t from around here, are you?” She said rather than asked.  


Zuko paused, not totally understanding her intentions. Sokka however, had all traces of glee wiped from his face as he looked her in the eye and said, “No, just passing through.”  


That seemed to satisfy her as she nodded and left. Sokka immediately muttered under his breath, “Geez, how rude can you be.”  


Zuko nodded his agreement as he picked at the fries on his plate.  


“It’s like, white people always wanna know where I’m from and tell us to get off their land, when it wasn’t even theirs in the first place. Fucking stupid,” Sokka continued, eating half-heartedly at his onion rings.  


“You’re Native?” Zuko asked, having already suspected but didn’t ask.  


“Yeah, Inuit. My Gran Gran was originally with our tribe over in Alaska, but once Katara and I lost our Mom and we had to move for my Dad’s work she came down to Florida to help raise us.”  


He blinked, taking in this information. Sure, he had learned a lot about Sokka, but nothing as deep as his family or their history.  


“I’m sorry about your Mom. I lost mine too,” Zuko offered, not going into more detail because it wasn’t the time or the place.  


“Yeah. I’m sorry too. But hey, let’s just eat this yummy food and get out of this place.” 

_Cause I’ve been taking my time, baby  
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_And I ain’t been talking too much lately  
_

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_Oh, I don’t know what I want, Can you help me?  
_

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_Cause I’ve been wasting my time, Oh but  
_

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_I don’t know what I need  
_

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_Can you help me to find, Something_

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They had made it to St. Louis, Missouri by around 8 pm and they were both exhausted. Zuko had driven the morning stretch and napped after their lunch, but car-sleep was not as fulfilling or satisfying as sleeping in a bed, and his bones ached.  


___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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He was waiting in the car while Sokka checked them into the motel, already looking forward to smashing his face in a pillow and not moving for hours.  


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Sokka walked out of the building, but looked… nervous.  


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“Look, so, uh, slight problem. They only have one room left, and there’s one double bed. I’m fine with it if you are, or we can keep driving.”  


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The idea of getting back into the car was not one he wanted to consider. He could get through one night with close contact.  


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“No, this is fine. As long as you don’t drool all over me,” Zuko said, which had Sokka sputtering as he tried to defend himself.  


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As they settled into the room, (settled meaning throwing their bags on the floor and falling onto the bed) Sokka let out a grunt and searched blindly for a TV remote on the nightstand.  


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“My brain is so tired, I just need to watch a shitty game show and pass out. Why was today so hard?”  


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Zuko sighed.  


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“I don’t know, but Dolly Parton was worth it.”  


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Sokka’s face was still in the pillow but his voice turned light and dreamy as he said, “Yeah, it was.”

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ah yes, the 'have to share a bed' trope >:-) 
> 
> thanks for reading! the song lyrics are from "under my skin" by Briston Maroney, the dolly parton statue and town name is real, but i made up the burger restaurant. 
> 
> PLEASE let me know what you thought through kudos or comments! they keep me going!

**Author's Note:**

> wow!!! u finished it!!!! PLEASE let me know what you thought of it through kudos or comments!! they are what motivates me to write!!


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